The Golden Order
The Lands Between was once ruled by the godlike influence of Queen Marika the Eternal, who had established the divine system of the Golden Order of the Erdtree, only for Queen Marika to do the unexpected.
The Catalyst
The Queen shattered the Elden Ring, to the displease of the Greater Will, the physical form of order holding everything together, destroying the laws of reality and plunging the realm into chaos. It is said she does this after the loss of her son, Godwyn the Golden.
The Demigods
Once the Elden Ring was shattered, the remains became Great Runes.
Like surviving heirs in our own world, Queen Marika’s children received their own great runes but fight each other for the rest of their inheritance.
Godrick the Grafted- He has become desperate and weak, clinging to what power he has.
Rennala & Radagon- a broken royal marriage between a powerful witch and the eventual second Elden Lord.
Starscourge Radahn- a titan with the power to stop the stars themselves.
Malenia the Severed- Unmatched warrior suffering from a curse of the scarlet rot.
The Lands Between Today
Every region has felt the effects of the chaos that ensued from the Elden Ring’s shattering and the resulting war between the Demigods that followed.
Limgrave- Fractured from Godrick’s insecurity. Roderika shares her loss of friends due to Godrick’s grafting.
Caelid- Suffers scarlet rot due to Radahn’s stalled war with Malenia.
Liurnia- In eternal mourning after Rennala fell from what she used to be.
Leyndell- A gilded city in a state of decay. A shadow of the past and a reminder of what used to be.
The Tarnished
The tarnished are those who were exiled long ago but have been given the privilege of returning to the Lands Between. It is said that among the returning tarnished is the future Elden Lord and restorer of the Elden Ring.
This tarnished will be guided by grace and will be presented, upon the defeat of the Demigods and collecting their Great Runes, with the power to restore the lands or to let it be cast forever into darkness.
Why It All Matters
The Golden Order was not perfect, and the shattering was not random. The Lands Between are caught in a cycle of control, rebellion, and rebirth. The rise of the foreseen Tarnished may be the key to reshaping the future of the Lands Between.
Closing
Elden Ring (FromSoftware) was my initial introduction to souls-like games. It was definitely a journey worth taking. I remember trying to finish the game and having a hard time doing it, but there was a buddy of mine who did finish it, and I thought if he could do it, then surely I could.
I have not played the DLC, but I intend to eventually; who knows how long that will be. Once I do, I will post about it as well.
I like the fact that you can get multiple endings; however, I was confused as to how that would look. I didn’t realize that you had to choose the ending. I thought that your collective accomplishments would work together to shape the overall ending.
Very good game, and it is so for a reason.
Stay tuned for
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: Vol. II, Parts III/IV/V (Thursday)
- Oblivion: How the Main Character is not the Main Character (Sunday)
Digital Archiver signing off.
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